Crystal Tamer
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: AU. Anne McCaffreyINSPIRED. A battle has been raging between humans and demons for thousands of years. Now is no exception.
1. Devastation

He . . . had the voice of angel. Every time he opened his mouth, even to speak, people stopped and listened. It had been a gift, really. A blessing, some called it, but Sesshomaru had hated him for it. Really, _really_ hated him for it. It hadn't been his fault that he'd been given a talent that no one else in his family possessed.

At first, Inuyasha had been proud of the fact that he had been blessed with such a wonderful and powerful voice. He loved to sing and people loved to hear him sing. It was something that he could brag about to anyone but hardly ever did. His father had taught him to be gracious and to not take it for granted. Still, he loved it when everyone stopped to listen to him. All he encountered loved him.

Everyone but Sesshomaru. The older boy always glared ice daggers at him whenever he tried to speak with his brother. It left him feeling confused and hurt. Why wouldn't Sesshomaru talk to him? He loved his brother and would do anything for him.

After a while, Inuyasha began to feel not so proud of his talent, despite the amount of attention he received from everyone else. His father told him not to despair, that Sesshomaru would come to love him, but the older boy continued to make their father a liar each time. He kept rebuffing Inuyasha's attempts at friendship. Then one day . . . he just wasn't there anymore. He told their father that he had left to find out how well he could do on his own. Sesshomaru had told him the same thing . . . only he finally confessed. He loathed Inuyasha, and wished he'd never been born. Because of his voice. It got Inuyasha whatever he wanted and he didn't even have to work for it. Sesshomaru had claimed it disgusted him. Just hearing Inuyasha's voice made him want to slit his own throat or cut off his ears. Anything to get the hanyou to leave him alone. With cold and numb fingers, the letter fell to the floor, silent tears rolling down Inuyasha's cheeks.

'He hates me.'

Inuyasha had stayed in his room all day, not even coming out for meals. He didn't want anyone to see him in that final breaking moment. Once his father had gone to bed, Inuyasha crept out of his room and into the bathroom. He'd decided. Finding his father's old-fashioned razor blade, Inuyasha took it to his wrists and his throat . . .


	2. The Dream and a Shattering Revelation

Sesshomaru awoke with a start, his eyes stinging from the lack of sleep. For some reason he couldn't identify, he'd just had a dream about his half-brother and it had been disturbing to say the least. All of his dreams of late had been about Inuyasha. In each, he couldn't stop picturing his brother's expression to the letter Sesshomaru had written. This last dream, however, it was more than just Inuyasha's reaction. Tears were flowing from the younger boy's eyes as he took a razor blade to his throat . . . and slashed it.

'I need to stop thinking about the half-breed,' he scolded himself, flopping onto his back. 'He isn't worth it. He's the reason why I left home anyway. To get away from him . . . and his voice.'

To say that he hated Inuyasha would have been an unfair statement. It really wasn't the boy he hated but the boy's talent. Sesshomaru had felt it to be unfair that Inuyasha had an amazing vocal talent and that, once he opened his mouth to say something, everyone stopped to listen. They would become completely enthralled with his brother, and it disgusted and angered Sesshomaru. Even his father adored Inuyasha, never sparing Sesshomaru a second glance once the boy came into the room. He had to get away lest he fall under his brother's spell.

Sesshomaru let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes once more. He needed to get some sleep. He had to be up and at work in several hours. His boss, Naraku, wouldn't be happy if he came in exhausted once more.

He had just started to drift back to sleep when his communications console came to life. The annoying ring jerked him awake once more. Letting out a frustrated growl, Sesshomaru sprang out of his bed and jabbed the button to turn it on.

'Whoever's calling this late had better have a good reason for disturbing me,' he thought darkly. 'Or I shall make them pay.'

As the screen lit up, his father's visage came into view. The older youkai's expression was mournful, and it appeared as if he'd been crying. Immediately, Sesshomaru's anger vanished, somewhat shocked that the youkai would be contacting him. They had no reason to communicate with each other as far as Sesshomaru was concerned.

'Something's happened.'

"Father?" he blinked. "Why are you calling me? Have you any idea as to how late it is here?"

_"I know. I didn't mean to disturb you, really,"_ the old man sighed. _"But this couldn't keep, Sesshomaru. It's about your brother. He's . . ."_

"Father, whatever it is, I . . ."

_"He's in the medical wing, Sesshomaru. He tried to take his life sometime this evening. The healers aren't even sure if he's going to make it,"_ the older youkai interjected.

He felt his entire body going cold. Inuyasha had tried to . . . take his life?'No,' Sesshomaru shook his head. 'No . . . that can't be. This is a dream. A bad dream, like all the other dreams I've been having lately. I'll wake up and this won't be happening.'

_"You need to come home,"_ his father continued. _"He needs you. I need you . . . here. Please, Sesshomaru. I know you're not fond of him but please . . . come home."_

"How . . ." Sesshomaru had to pause to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat before he could continue. "How did he try to kill himself?"

'Please don't say he slashed his throat. Kami, please don't say that, Father.'

_"He,"_ the older youkai heaved a ragged sigh, _"he had snuck into the bathroom after I'd gone to bed . . . grabbed a razor blade and . . . slashed his wrists then his throat. I woke up the moment he drew blood and got in there just as he hit the floor."_

The voice that spoke afterwards wasn't his own. It sounded like him but it didn't sound like him. It was so distant in his own ears.

"I'll be home soon."

888888888

"This isn't very good timing, Sesshomaru," Naraku stated as he walked by several loaders, his tone irritated. Sesshomaru let out a soft sigh and nodded. After the communication with his father had ended, he'd gotten up, dressed, and left for the loading bays, where he knew the spider hanyou would be.

"I know, Naraku. Believe me, I know. And I wouldn't ask if it weren't an emergency. You know that."

"Yes. I know this . . . what happened again? Your brother tried to kill himself?"

"Hai. Slashed his wrists and throat. The healers aren't sure if he's going to make it."

"I didn't even know you had a brother," Naraku murmured.

"My family isn't something I like talking about," Sesshomaru slowly admitted. "But my father called me not that long ago to tell me the news . . ."

"I see . . ."

The dark-haired man paused for a moment then turned to look at him.

"Well, since it is a family matter and I'm not _that_ cold-hearted, take the time you need. Keep me posted on what's going on, though. You're the best guard I have against the humans and I can't afford to lose you."

"Arigato, Naraku," Sesshomaru bowed curtly. "I appreciate it and I shall do my best."

Naraku offered him a faint smile before turning his back to supervise the rest of his workers. Sesshomaru also turned and headed towards the transport system. Time was of the essence and he had to hurry. Why, he didn't know. He just knew that he had to.

'I'm coming, otouto. Hang on for a little while longer. I'm coming.'


	3. Options

The ride back to the original colony complex, in Sesshomaru's opinion, seemed to have taken forever. Since he'd boarded the transport shuttle, he'd had a strange sense of dread washing over him. He tried to assure himself that everything was going to be all right, that he'd get there in time. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't shake it. The closer he drew to where he'd grown up , the stronger the feeling grew. Something was going to happen and soon. He just knew it.

888888888

InuTaisho stood patiently at the transport terminal as he waited for Sesshomaru. He knew what had sent his youngest son into a downward spiral of depression. He had seen the letter on the boy's bedroom floor, the forgotten letter from Sesshomaru. Why Sesshomaru had felt the need to send such a cruel and harsh letter to his twelve-year-old son, InuTaisho couldn't even begin to guess. His oldest always had the strangest reasons for doing things.

Of course . . . so did he. InuTaisho knew more about his sons than anyone realized. To all outward appearances, it seemed as if he showered his youngest son with all of the love and affection that he possessed. That Sesshomaru received none of it. It simply wasn't true. Each boy needed something different from him. Each child has his own strengths that needed to be cultured and nurtured. After all, both boys had lost much in their lives. They had just been too young at the time to fully realize what it was that they had lost.

"Master InuTaisho?"

The iridescent-haired male turned his head to see a young youkai soldier standing behind him, a young youkai of wolf origins. His blue eyes and dark hair were the greatest physical indications. His scent had told InuTaisho more. Of course, the youth, along with two others had escorted him to the transport terminal. Time was of the essence, after all.

"Hai, Lieutenant Wolf?"

"The transport will be arriving in the next minute. Ginta and Hakkaku have gone to our own transport to get it ready. And we've heard from Shinsei and TsukuYouMaru."

"You have? What did they say?"

InuTaisho's heart leapt into his throat at hearing the young male say those words. Leaving Inuyasha in the hospital wing on his own had been a truly difficult decision but one that InuTaisho had made nonetheless. Inuyasha had been unconscious and still in surgery when he had.

"That he's in a recovery room and doing well," the wolf replied. "He hasn't regained consciousness, though. From their expressions, I daresay there's more that they wanted to say but they're not going to over an open communications line."

"Makes sense," InuTaisho nodded, feeling a small amount of relief. Before he could say more, the transport carrying his oldest son arrived and Sesshomaru was walking towards him. They were quickly ushered back to their transport and on their way back. InuTaisho just prayed that Shinsei and TsukuYouMaru had good news for him. The last thing his family needed was any more bad news.

888888888

"Are you sure?" InuTaisho wrung his hands together, glancing through the glass into the next room. His youngest son slept in that room, Sesshomaru at his side. TsukuYouMaru nodded.

"Hai, I'm sure, Tai. His vocal chords have been severely damaged from the suicide attempt. If his full vocal potential is ever going to be realized, we need to do this procedure and right away. It's for his own good."

The procedure the bat youkai was speaking of was considered to be a simple and common procedure. While his son remained unconscious, they would wheel him into an operating room and hook him up to several wires, some of them resting where he'd sustained his most serious injuries. Some would be to monitor his heart, some to monitor his brain activity but the rest would be to assist Inuyasha's demon to heal the damage the boy had inflicted upon himself. The success rate for such a procedure had become phenomenal. Still, the prospect of having his son undergo such a procedure frightened InuTaisho for reasons he couldn't identify.

'Still, the boy has potential. And he's needed. I need him. I can't afford to lose him. I can't.'

"Very well," he nodded. "Let's do it."

TsukuYouMaru smiled. He then nodded to his assistant, his hanyou daughter, Shiori.

"We'll begin immediately."

888888888

"Are you sure everything's going according to plan?"

The transmission crackled some but the person's expression on the other end never wavered.

_"Hai,"_ came the reply. _"The youkai won't be able to use their secret weapon when the big battle comes. I guarantee it."_

"Keep us updated on your progress."

The screen went blank at that moment, and the man leaned back in his chair. A sneer crossed his face as he did so.

'It won't be long now. The youkai won't know what hit them.'

Somewhere, in the distance, an explosion could be heard . . .


	4. Chapter 4

InuTaisho couldn't get to his son, and it scared him. The medical complex had been warded off by many of the wolf youkai guards of the colony.

There had been an explosion. He knew that much. But where, none were able to say. Given that he wasn't able to get to the medical complex, InuTaisho knew that it had to be bad. The only time the complex was closed off was when there were casualties. Then there was the fact that the power was now out through the entire colony.

'I just hope they didn't have Inuyasha hooked up to the machinery,' InuTaisho fretted. He knew what happened to those that had been hooked up to the vocal repair devices when the power had been cut or when an attack occurred, and he didn't want to think that his son would be like them.

"Father . . ."

At the sound of his name, InuTaisho turned around to face his oldest son. Despite the expressionless mask Sesshomaru always wore, he could tell that his oldest was just as worried as he was. He saw it in Sesshomaru's eyes.

"Yes, Sesshomaru?"

"What's happened? Where's Inuyasha?"

"I don't know," he replied, answering both questions at once. "I haven't seen TsukuYouMaru since before they began to prep Inuyasha for the procedure."

"We're vulnerable to attack . . ."

"I know," InuTaisho murmured. "Believe me, I know. Do what you need to do, Sesshomaru."

"Father?" The younger youkai tilted his head, curiosity filling his eyes. InuTaisho smiled. Despite what Sesshomaru liked to believe, InuTaisho had paid attention to him when he had lived with him. He knew that his oldest was becoming restless. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have mentioned their being vulnerable.

"Do what you need to do," he repeated. "I know you. You won't be satisfied until you know everything's going to be all right. Go. I'll be here."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn't been expecting that from his father. Then it was gone. The expressionless mask was back in place.

"Are you sure, Father? I can always stay here . . ."

"And be miserable when you want to take some form of action," InuTaisho pointed out. "Go. I'll be fine. I'm not leaving here until I can see Inuyasha."

For a moment, Sesshomaru hesitated. Then he nodded his head and slowly turned away. As he did so, the worry that InuTaisho had started to feel began to increase. Now he had both sons to worry about.

"Take care, my son," he murmured. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again."

He turned away to face the direction of the medical complex, contenting himself to wait for news.

888888888

Sesshomaru heard his father's words as he quickly departed and felt another pang of guilt as he walked away. He really hadn't wanted to leave his father alone, to wait for news on his younger half-sibling, but he also hadn't wanted to wait. Not when it was possible with an imminent attack. The explosion, and its proximity to the medical complex, had him completely rattled and unhinged. He needed to move, to make sure everything was going to be all right. Somehow . . . his father had understood that and had given him permission to go put his mind at ease. For that, Sesshomaru was extremely grateful.

'Still, something about this doesn't feel right,' he frowned as he loped into a run. 'Not right at all. It wreaks of sabotage and treachery.'

The moment he thought of treachery, an image of a young hanyou girl came to his mind. A young hanyou girl with lavender eyes and pearly white hair. He knew her name, had known her father for years. Shiori . . . TsukuYouMaru's daughter. It struck Sesshomaru as odd that, for years, TsukuYouMaru never spoke of his daughter, never had any pictures of her in his home or his office at the medical complex. Any youkai who had any family or offspring proudly displayed pictures of those individuals. Hell, his own father had pictures, not just of him and his brother everywhere, but pictures of his grandfather, his uncles and aunts, his cousins, his mother, and Inuyasha's mother. Youkai were extremely proud of their families and would do anything for them.

'So how did Shiori come to be?' he wondered. 'Where has she been for all these years? Is she even TsukuYouMaru's daughter?'

Sesshomaru could barely contain the growl that threatened to erupt from him at that thought. There was no doubts that the girl was hanyou, and bat hanyou at that. However, that didn't necessarily make her TsukuYouMaru's daughter.

'I think it's time I learned about this . . . Shiori,' he thought to himself, reaching his destination, the colony's military command center. He'd have his answers, and he'd have them soon.

888888888

He floated on a haze of pain. His throat burned, he could barely open his eyes . . . and every limb felt heavy, as if they'd become made of lead instead of flesh and bone. He felt weary, like he could sleep for a thousand years or more. Why he felt that exhausted, he didn't know. He just did.

_"Inuyasha . . ."_

"Father?" he croaked out, lifting an arm out to reach for the male inu. A vision of his father's worried face came to him, even though his mind was hazy and pained. "Where . . ."

_"Come back to me, Inuyasha, please . . . I need you here. Please come back . . ."_

The vision began to fade and it scared Inuyasha. He didn't want to be alone. Despite his protesting body, his eyes opened and he ran after the fading imaged . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Miroku glanced at the screen as the reports started to pour in. The youkai colony complex had suffered some severe damages but that wasn't the only thing he wanted to hear. He wanted more. More damage to be reported in, casualties, injuries . . . anything that would indicate some form of demoralization. He especially wanted to hear from the spy that he'd sent in about the one hanyou in the youkai camps, the one with the voice.

Miroku wanted to hear that the boy was dead.

No incapacitation, no longer able to sing . . . dead was what he wanted.

As the commanding officer of the human army on LC1978, it was Miroku's duty to ensure that the youkai menace was destroyed. It had come to his attention that various youkai had the ability to sing. They had voices that could entrance someone and get that person to do as bidded. That disturbed him. If a youkai could sing and entrance someone, then it was entirely possible for a youkai's voice to be used to power up a weapon of mass destruction. He couldn't allow that to happen. That had been why he'd sent a spy and saboteur into the youkai ranks. She had yet to fail him.

Like the youkai, the human military and colonies had hanyou amongst them. They weren't as widely as accepted as they should have been – a hanyou had great infiltration capabilities, after all – but they were still there. After all, a child born out of rape still had its uses, and that was the only reason why Miroku could think of for the existence of half-breeds.

"Captain . . ."

The voice of one of his officers, a pretty and young female by the name of Sango, interrupted Miroku's thoughts. He blinked as she came into focus and he had to stop himself from leering. How he wanted to grope her on the ass and get in between her legs . . .

'Focus,' he reminded himself. Miroku plastered a cheerful smile on his face.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"We've heard from Shiori . . ." she began, doing her best not to fidget. Miroku could tell. Apparently, she didn't have good news.

'Or perhaps she does and she's just trying to psyche me out,' he mused.

"Really?" he smiled even wider, leaning back in his chair. "And what does she have to report?"

"The hanyou she was told to kill . . . still lives."

"What?" Miroku's eyes widened and he sat upright in his chair. Sango had the decency to appear afraid. So it was bad news after all. He hated bad news.

"The hanyou . . . Inuyasha . . . still lives," she replied.

"How is that even possible?" he hissed, his face contorting into a scowl. "He's hanyou! That surge of power during the procedure should have fried him to bits! His human blood would have ensured that!"

"We don't know, Sir," Sango answered. "Shiori's looking into it, though. She thinks she might have another chance to get him out of the way. How, she didn't say. All she said was she was going to give it another shot."

"I hope so," Miroku growled, drumming his fingers against the arm of his chair. "She better not fail me like this ever again."

"I'll relay the message, Captain."

888888888

"Tai?"

At the sound of his name, the inuyoukai general glanced up. Before him stood Dr. TsukuYouMaru and a few of the wolf youkai soldiers. He recognized one of them as being Lieutenant Kouga. Immediately, InuTaisho rose to his feet. From the expression on the doctor's face, the news couldn't be good. He didn't think he could take any more bad news. Not after that series of explosions and the fact that this was the first time he'd seen the bat youkai in hours. He still didn't know his youngest's condition.

"Yes, Doctor?" InuTaisho murmured, wringing his hands together in a nervous fashion. "How is Inuyasha? Is he . . ."

"Dead?" the bat finished then he shook his head. "No. He's still alive."

"He is? Oh, thank Kami," InuTaisho breathed, feeling all sorts of tension and unease seep out of him. Then he remembered the troubled expression on the doctor's face. "He isn't out of danger yet . . . is he?"

"No," TsukuYouMaru confirmed. "Not yet. We have him stabilized for the moment. We're going to have to perform an emergency surgery within the next twenty-four hours if we're going to save him. But he needs to be stabilized for that time before we can proceed."

"I see . . . May I . . .?"

"Hai," the bat nodded, giving him a sympathetic smile, "you may. Lieutenant Wolf will accompany you to his room."

"Right this way, Master InuTaisho," said wolf murmured as he gestured for the inuyoukai to follow him. InuTaisho locked eyes with the doctor before he did.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Oh, I think I do," TsukuYouMaru murmured. "Go. Your son needs you. I'll send Sesshomaru your way the moment he returns."

InuTaisho nodded then followed Lieutenant Wolf to his son's room.

888888888

Shiori smoothed out the wrinkles of her combat pants before carefully proceeding on her way to the medical complex. She had to do her best to remain inconspicuous as she did so. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to find out that she'd been the one to sabotage the colonial governor's son's operation. Given the boy's tender age of twelve, she had no doubts that several of the youkai there wouldn't hesitate to kill her if they knew that she'd been the one to put him in his current condition.

'But it has to be done,' she thought grimly. 'This boy needs to die, especially if the humans are going to have a chance.'

If the truth had to be told, Shiori would have admitted that she felt no remorse for trying to kill a young boy. Given the number of humans that had died at the hands of a youkai, she figured it to be a sense of poetic justice. A hanyou raised among humans killing a hanyou raised among demons. She'd have even looked the boy in the eyes as she killed him.

'And I have to get rid of him this time. If I don't, Captain Winds will have my head . . . and my mother will be so disappointed in me. Thankfully, I know just where he is.'

She had just reached the corner leading to where the inu hanyou, a boy named Inuyasha, lay when a cold voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hello, Shiori. Going somewhere?"


	6. Chapter 6 Truths Revealed

"Sesshomaru-sama," Shiori murmured, bowing as respectfully as she could. She willed the hammering of her heart to slow down. She could not afford to get caught or to arouse suspicion. The success of her mission depended on her being able to move about freely. "I was just going to check on Inuyasha-san, make sure he is safe. What are you doing this close to the medical ward?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Shiori," the inuyoukai said. His tone was cold and lethal, implying promises of certain death. To Shiori, it felt as if he knew what she planned to do next, and the very thought frightened her. Out of habit and an uncanny sense of terror, she took one step away from the governor's son.

Sesshomaru followed her. His golden eyes glinted, and his silver hair swayed behind him, giving him a beautifully deadly aura. If he was not her sworn enemy, Shiori would have begged him to take her and make her his.

They were enemies, however, and she could not show him any signs of weakness or fear. The humans needed her to be successful in her mission. Shiori laughed.

"No, actually I don't know the answer," she replied. "As far as I know, you're not fond of your younger brother. I am quite surprised to see you here."

"I am sure you are," the dog demon growled, his eyes narrowed. He advanced towards her, a hint of his fangs showing. "And I am sure you were planning on using the confusion of the blast to your advantage."

"What?"

"That is enough, Sesshomaru."

Shiori felt her heart leap with elation when she heard her father's voice. She turned so she could face him, even though she despised the bat demon for raping her mother, and started to smile. Her elation faltered upon seeing TsukuYouMaru, though.

The bat demon's expression was somber and filled with disappointment. Next to TsukuYouMaru stood InuTaisho. In front of them was a pale demon girl, and behind them were at least five wolf demon soldiers. Shiori immediately recognized Lieutenant Kouga and his two subordinates, Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Father? What's going on?"

"We know, Shiori," the bat demon replied. "We know the truth."

"What do you mean? I don't understand . . ."

The situation was slowly slipping away from Shiori. Somehow, her cover was destroyed, but she could not grasp how.

"You do understand," her father replied. He looked so sad, but Shiori could have cared less. "And I know that you do. Please stop insulting our intelligence. We know what you've done and who you have received your orders from. Kanna has seen and heard everything. We just don't know why."

"Kanna?" Shiori blinked then glanced at the pale girl again. They were probably referring to her.

"Yes. Kanna," InuTaisho answered. Rage burned in his eyes, belying the calm tone he used to address her. "We thought it strange, your appearance one year ago. We've been monitoring you since."

"You didn't trust me?"

"Do you blame us?" TsukuYouMaru asked, his voice quiet. "You've injured dozens of people who _did_ trust you, and you nearly killed a child. For what? What crime have we committed to warrant such a heinous act?"

Heinous? They thought her actions were heinous? How were they any better? She and Inuyasha were products of rape, and they called her actions heinous? Shiori's emotions unhinged, and she lashed out.

"You fucking bastard!" she spat. She lunged to attack, but she had forgotten about Sesshomaru's presence. The dog demon now held her firmly, his strength surprising her because of his slender appearance. "You raped my mother and say what I've done is heinous?! You're disgusting! You demons are all alike!"

"Rape?" TsukuYouMaru blinked. "My dear girl, I've never met your mother."

"Not even in the raids of Timpash?!" she screamed. "She was there! You raped her and shamed her!"

"Timpash?" At this, both InuTaisho and TsukuYouMaru looked at each other, puzzled. Even the wolf demons appeared perplexed, but Shiori was not falling for their acts. She knew what her mother had told her. Then InuTaisho's gaze returned to her.

"My dear girl, we have never been near Timpash," he said. "Nor have we ever raided the city. We have always lived here."

"Lies and bull shit."

"No. It is the truth for we have no need to lie," TsukuYouMaru replied. Shiori laughed, the sound bitter and empty.

"Oh? And why should I believe you?"

"Because Timpash is on Aquariana, in the Dreamoria system," InuTaisho said. "They are five light years away."

"Five . . . light years away?" The fight drained from Shiori and she could only stare at the two males as they nodded.

"Yes. Five light years away."

"We do not go near settlements like Timpash," InuTaisho explained. "It is too dangerous for even demons such as ourselves."

"Too many humans for you?"

"There are no humans in Timpash. Only the crystal warriors."

* * *

Sesshomaru let go of the bat hanyou girl the moment two of the wolf soldiers approached. The girl looked and smelled so defeated, he almost felt sorry for her. Almost. It was a difficult feat for him, though, since she had tried to kill his half-brother. Despite his harsh letter to the boy, Sesshomaru cared enough to want Inuyasha alive. The boy possessed great potential, after all.

As the wolves led Shiori away – her mind would be wiped since Kanna had been revealed to her – his father and TsukuYouMaru stepped towards him. His father appeared to be pleased about something while the bat demon was disappointed and saddened. If Sesshomaru felt pity for anyone, it was the doctor. In his opinion, it must hurt knowing your only child sought your death.

"I am thinking the humans believe Inuyasha is to be a weapon," TsukuYouMaru said after a brief pause in silence.

"A weapon?" Sesshomaru scoffed. "A weapon for what? Entertaining people? The humans are fools."

"His voice is his power," InuTaisho answered, his tone soft and gentle. "To some who are in power, he is a threat, even though he is a child. You have seen how adults react to him, Sesshomaru. They will stop and listen to him speak. When he sings, even if it is a silly child's song, he mesmerizes them."

"Yes. I remember," Sesshomaru murmured. "I did not understand why, though."

"You also found it disturbing," his father pointed out. "You are one of the few who is immune to his powers. Mind you, Inuyasha is not even aware of what he can do. It is only a matter of time before he decides how he is going to utilize his gifts. If he so desired, he could end the war between demons and humans."

"Something some humans do not want to happen," TsukuYouMaru said, sighing. "Their hatred of us is deep."

"And there are some demons who harbor the same feelings as the humans do," InuTaisho said. "We must not fool ourselves."

"I know." TsukuYouMaru paused then glanced at his watch. "We should go and check on your son, Governor. His condition still worries me and I fear I have dallied long enough."

"Yes. Sesshomaru, come with us."

"Father?"

"He needs us. We are his family. We are the only ones who can help him fight to live, Sesshomaru, and I will not let him down. I will not."

It took a second for Sesshomaru to understand, but, when the realization hit him, he nodded and followed his father down the corridor to his brother's room. The youth's suicide attempt nearly destroyed the old dog and forced in the reality he could have lost the boy. Losing a child was a terrifying thought for any parent. Sesshomaru had only one question he wanted answered, something that had bothered him since Izayoi entered their lives and bore his half-brother.

"Father, why does Inuyasha have such a beautiful voice? His mother was human . . ."

"No. She was not human," his father answered. "She was a Telelithian."

* * *

His throat ached, and his body felt heavy. He wanted to sleep, but Inuyasha sensed danger around him. Someone wanted to kill him when he was not ready to die yet. His fear drove him, and he forced his eyes open.

Standing around him were several tall people, people who hurt his eyes. The boy whimpered, and he tried to hide further into his bed. Were they the ones trying to kill him?

No . . . it was not them. The one threatening him was not there anymore. Who were they then? Why were they there?

As he stared at the unusual people, one reached out a large, crystalline hand . . .


	7. New Arrivals

As he stared at the unusual people, one reached out a large, crystalline hand . . .

Inuyasha awoke with a start and gasped for air, shaking as if he were cold. He lay in a bed of white linens, a needle inserted in both of his arms, and he ached from his ears down to his toes. A facemask covered part of his face and gave him a constant stream of fresh air. Frightened by what he had seen in his dreams, Inuyasha glanced around, whimpering as he did so.

In front of the door to his room stood two guards. They were both the same height, and they were wearing dark blue. Inuyasha thought he recognized the two as Ginta and Hakkaku, two of several wolf demons under his father's command. The moment he started to move, their eyes swept towards him, and they gazed in sympathy at him. Hakkaku then stepped forward until he was at Inuyasha's side.

"It's all right, Inuyasha," he said, taking one of the hanyou's hands into his, and he offered him a faint smile. "Everything's going to be all right. Your father and brother speaking with Dr. TsukuYouMaru right now. They'll be in shortly. Okay?"

Inuyasha nodded his head to the best of his abilities. It was difficult, giving his throat hurt something awful, and he felt tired. Still, he tried, and Hakkaku nodded as well. He smiled again then resumed his position at the door, and Inuyasha waited for his father and his brother to show.

He knew he how ended up in the hospital wing. He remembered his actions very well, though he was unsure as to whether or not he was supposed to remember. Whether he was supposed to remember or not hardly mattered to Inuyasha. The tears still stung at his eyes as he remembered his older half-brother's letter to him, the hateful sound of each word, and the pain reading the letter had caused him. It was also not lost on Inuyasha that Hakkaku had said his father _and_his brother were talking with Dr. TsukuYouMaru.

Why was Sesshomaru there? Inuyasha possessed no doubts his brother meant every word in his letter yet the fact Sesshomaru was with their father and Dr. TsukuYouMaru said otherwise. His presence there confused the boy, and Inuyasha disliked feeling confused. He liked to feel safe, comforted, and loved. The only ones who could give him such things were his father and his brother and his mother, though she had long since passed away. Inuyasha closed his eyes the moment he felt the tears pricking at them, and the sobs started to wrack his body.

"Inuyasha?"

At the sound of his brother's voice, he opened his eyes. Through tear-blurred vision, Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru walked towards him, the same way Hakkaku had, only the older demon sat next to him on the bed. One hand reached over, brushing away a few tears.

"It is good to see you awake, otouto," Sesshomaru murmured. "For a moment, we feared Shiori's sabotage may have caused more damage. The explosion nearly took out at least a mile or so of the colony. It nearly cost you your life as well."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak - he did not remember any explosion - but his brother placed a finger on the facemask. He also shook his head.

"You have not healed enough to be speaking just yet," Sesshomaru said. "Do not rush it just yet." He paused. "You gave us quite a scare, otouto . . . we were not sure you would survive."

Inuyasha tilted his head. His brother and his father scared? It did not seem likely. They always wore cool expressions on their faces, even when the alarms sounded to indicate they were under attack. Nothing ever touched them. How could they be scared?

Sesshomaru must have read his thoughts or his expression. The older youkai smiled ever so slightly, in his usual manner, and reached over to the other side of his face, wiping away the rest of his tears.

"It is not easy, Inuyasha," he murmured, "to keep a brave face when confronted with danger. Or when we are confronted with the potential loss of someone we love very much. I only wish this had not happened for me to realize . . ." Sesshomaru then shook his head. "You are awake now. Dr. TsukuYouMaru was not sure if it would happen. Father will be in shortly to see you. He will be very pleased to see your eyes open. He says you remind him of our grandsire. How, I am not certain, but he says it is there just the same."

"Sesshomaru-sama . . ."

His older brother turned to look at the speaker - another wolf demon, from his appearance but with more hair on his head - and Inuyasha tried to follow Sesshomaru's gaze. It was difficult as he still felt tired and weak and _confused_, but Inuyasha still made the effort. He certainly recognized Kouga's voice. This particular wolf youkai was among the fastest runners in the colony as well as the strongest. He earned his way through the ranks quickly and was among his father's favourite warriors.

"Yes, Kouga?"

"Your father requires your presence in the command center. He says he will be in to see Inuyasha shortly, but this is something that cannot wait."

Sesshomaru nodded then looked at Inuyasha. He leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

"Do not do something so foolish ever again, Inuyasha," he said. "You nearly devastated our father with your actions. If you had succeeded . . ."

The words were left unspoken. Sesshomaru stood and disappeared through the door, Kouga walking in front of him. The two guards at his door relaxed a little, and they smiled at him. Inuyasha managed a faint smile in return, or so he imagined. His eyes felt heavy, and sleep calling out to him. He found himself unable to resist the call of slumber, and his eyes drifted shut.

xxX888Xxx

"You requested my presence, father?"

Sesshomaru paused a respectful distance from his father and observed the older youkai. InuTaisho stood with his back straight and his gaze on the largest monitor of the room. From what Sesshomaru could see, the image on the screen was not that of the human colony, but of the space beyond the planet's atmosphere. The entire screen was black and dotted with stars with one exception: a small shuttlecraft of pale blue and silver filled the center. Its markings were nothing like anything Sesshomaru had ever seen.

"I did," the older demon said, not even glancing in his direction. "But first . . . Kouga says Inuyasha is awake?"

"He is," Sesshomaru said. "A little confused by my presence there, I am sure, but he is awake. He appears to be growing stronger."

"That is good," InuTaisho murmured. "I must go see him before too much longer."

"I told him you would be there . . ." Sesshomaru stepped closer to his father until they stood nearly shoulder to shoulder. "That shuttle craft . . . I have never seen anything like it . . ."

"I have," InuTaisho said. He sounded grim as he spoke. "It is a Timpash vessel."

"Timpash? I thought you said they were five light years away."

"They are five light years away," InuTaisho confirmed. "It would take us or the humans that long to get there. Those in the Dreamoria system . . ." He shook his head. "I would say they have not been away from their homeworld for long . . . Their technology has long since surpassed what we are capable of doing."

Sesshomaru said nothing for several long minutes. His eyes were fixed on the screen and on the craft coming into the planet's orbit. He did not have a good feeling about this.

"Why are they here?" he finally asked. InuTaisho shook his head.

"I don't know," he murmured. "I can only guess, and I do not like where that guess is leading me . . ."

InuTaisho turned away from the screen and started for the door. His shoulders were hunched, as if someone had defeated him.

"Father?"

"I do not know much of those from Timpash, Sesshomaru. A spider demon would possibly know more than I, and I know of where none live. Please excuse me . . . I must go see your brother."

Before he could say anything more, his father disappeared through the doors. Sesshomaru stared at his father's back as he retreated, a frown on his features. The older demon carried many burdens on his shoulders. Many lives depended on the colonial governor, and many matters required his attention. With at least one hundred fifty demons living in the colony, his father probably did not know every type of demon and hanyou living under his rule. Worry for his and Inuyasha's safety only compounded the stress on his father. The older demon would not be thinking coherently, and action was required. Sesshomaru's gaze returned to the screen and to the Timpash vessel drawing near to the planet, and an idea started to form in his mind.

"A spider demon," he murmured. "It would be most inconvenient if there were no more spider demons in existence . . . Kouga."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

The wolf demon approached, his back straight. He saluted as well, his blue eyes glittering like pale sapphires. Sesshomaru kept his gaze on the screen.

"There is someone I would like for you to retrieve . . . I know my father will not be able to spare you or Ginta and Hakkaku, but I understand there are more under your command that are . . . able to take leave . . . There is a hanyou living two miles northwest of the command center. He runs the shipping docks, and his name is Naraku. I need a message sent to him and as quickly as possible. Have you someone who can do this?"

"I have many who can get there quickly," Kouga replied, "but my question is how quickly? There are some fast runners under my command, but none of them can run as fast as me. I can get to the northwest sections in under two hours."

"Two hours?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at this. It sounded very much like a boast to him without the boastful tone. He glanced at the wolf demon from the corner of his eye. Kouga nodded with a single sharp motion of his head. The wolf demon's expression remained rigid and neutral.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. I am sure InuTaisho-sama can spare me for two hours. Shall I tell him where you're sending me?"

"If he will spare you, then yes. Tell him . . ." Sesshomaru paused. "Tell him a spider demon may be closer than he thinks."


End file.
